BOWLUS Road Chief Vintage Travel trailer Airstream

Posted: March 26th, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: RV Camping | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments »

GREAT BOWLUS Road Chief Vintage Travel trailer forerunner Airstream .Still Restoration is going. Two hundred Road Chief trailers were eventually produced by the Bowlus-Teller Manufacturing Company, in San Fernando, California, from 1934 to ’36. To quote the brochure: “The body and chassis of ‘The Bowlus Road Chief’ is constructed of rust proof steel tubing, acetylene welded together, covered with duralumin closely rivited.” “The interior of ‘The Bowlus Road Chief’ is lined with suitable material for beautiful and attractive decorating.” “The outer walls of ‘The Bowlus Road Chief’ are throughly insulated agaist heat.” “The streamlining of ‘The Bowlus Road Chief’ is the result of years of experience in aircraft building and wind tunnel experimentation. Proper streamlining insures economy, prevents strain on the auto, creates exceptional riding qualities, and adds greatly to its beauty.”

14 Comments on “BOWLUS Road Chief Vintage Travel trailer Airstream”

  1. 1 LeoBullterrier said at 2:54 am on March 24th, 2008:

    It is a work of art I’d love one. Owen Emerald Qld Australia

  2. 2 escreveprovictor said at 11:49 pm on July 12th, 2008:

    The Airstream´s Father!

  3. 3 cheshanekoneko said at 8:12 pm on August 22nd, 2008:

    宇宙船みたいでカッチョイイですね(≧∇≦)

  4. 4 05cr125rider said at 6:25 pm on March 2nd, 2009:

    Thats cool as shit how you about got your dumb ass hit by that truck that had to slam on brakes! Keep up the good driving and lets see if it makes it to 2035.

  5. 5 1saltyone said at 11:36 pm on June 15th, 2009:

    I like the door in the front a lot!

  6. 6 HunterMann said at 8:51 pm on June 17th, 2009:

    Classic moment at :27 ouch!

  7. 7 BurtBartlow said at 9:37 pm on June 27th, 2009:

    Would like to see the inside.

  8. 8 MexicanBurtReynolds said at 11:47 pm on July 18th, 2009:

    My last name is Bowlus, but looks more like Lord Humungus!!

  9. 9 qsk2pc602 said at 7:48 pm on October 7th, 2009:

    have marcey ! this looks like a submarine on wheels.

  10. 10 qsk2pc602 said at 8:21 pm on October 16th, 2009:

    oops mercy.. i think

  11. 11 mommytiller26 said at 11:48 am on January 9th, 2010:

    I found one of these about 10 yrs ago, told an internet aquaintence about it and eventually helped him buy it for $1000. He ended up paying about the same to have it shipped from west Texas to his home in Portland OR. It was in approx. the same shape as the one in the video, If I had known he was going to flip it instead of building the treailer he’d always wanted I would have bought it for myself. he ended up making about $6000 off it. I’m still pissed at myself for doing that.

  12. 12 roadyrider said at 11:56 pm on August 6th, 2010:

    I think that it’s….no, it can’t be…..YES…IT IS!….It’s Flash Gordon’s long lost Spaceship!! What a beauty! A great example of the beginning of modern camping. Too bad that it’s in Japan now, not that they won’t appreciate or care for it there, it’s just that there are so few left today that it should have been kept in a museum here.

  13. 13 Cassoncars said at 1:09 pm on August 28th, 2010:

    NEAT LOOKING UNIT…GLAD THE TRACTOR DIDN’T TAKE YOU OUT !!! WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEE MORE DETAIL & HEARD THE HISTORY OF ITS FIND & ITS
    ORIGIN. IS THIS UNIT FOR SALE ??? WHERE IS IT HOMED ???

  14. 14 JAVMAN83 said at 6:16 pm on September 12th, 2010:

    FYI – The designer of the BOWLUS trailer was Hawley Bowlus. Earlier in his career, he was the foreman at Ryan Aircraft in 1927, famous of course for the Spirit of St. Louis of Lindbergh fame.

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